Louisiana Blues
by Naimeria
Summary: The team gets sent on a mission into the bayous of Louisiana to scout out the possible source of a series of kidnappings. Things go south and they get much more than they bargained for. Rated T for later violence.
1. Mission Start

_**Title:**_ Louisiana Blues

_**Author:**_ Naimeria

_**Warnings:**_ None

_**Summary: **_The team gets sent on a mission into the bayous of Louisiana to scout out the possible source of a series of kidnappings. They get much more than they bargained for.

_**Author's Notes:**_ I have no beta (if you're interested, feel free to contact me, as I would love one!), so all mistakes are mine. There are no pairings in this other than friendship, but if you squint, you might see one or two. :)

You will also notice I don't use Connor or Dick when addressing Superboy or Robin. Their names haven't come up in the show, and so I will not use them here.

Standard Disclaimer applies~

oOo

Five sets of footfalls were heard, the light thudding hitting the grass one moment then gone the next. If one were standing nearby, they would think the wind had merely gusted the long blades. One suddenly was gone, to be replaced with the thumping of feet hitting wood; one of the pack had moved to the trees. Another left the ground and was not heard from again; they had taken to the air.

"Stay close," Kaldur said, noting that Robin had moved to the treetops and Megan had decided to fly the rest of the way. "Remember, we want to remain hidden."

"Don't worry, mister leader," Kid Flash chimed from his right, his footsteps, for once, the same speed as his comrades'. "We know better than to break the little gang now." He spoke, of course, of their little excursion at their last mission; though the drug bust had been a success, bruises and all, it had still been far too disorganized. Kaldur's gaze flitted to where he heard Robin jumping, unable to see him.

"We're sticking close," the youngest member said easily, though the aquatic teen could tell he still felt bad about his behavior a few weeks past. Kaldur held no grudges, and he made sure to remind the teen more than once. He was, in fact, very grateful to have Robin giving up what was clearly his most desired position in the team. He reminded the other of that more than once as well, though by his behavior, Robin was more than sick of hearing it.

"We need to keep moving," Superboy said, and that was that. The group fell into silence once more, focusing on the mission. Aqualad heard Batman's dulcet tones echoing through his head as he went over the details of their latest mission.

"_Strange disappearances have been occurring in the southern half of Louisiana," Batman growled, looking at each pair of eyes in turn as they watched the debriefing screen behind him. "Miss Martian will be receiving coordinates and maps of each location. There are five swamps surrounding a large estate, where there have been rumors of strange kidnappings. _

"_We have a theory as to who's behind it," Batman continued, turning away from the team and looking back at the screen, "but the League will handle that. It's your job to scout out the swamps, the estate, and any surrounding buildings. We need to know whether these rumors are true or false. That's _all _you'll be doing," he said with dark inflection, glaring at each of them with a pregnant pause in between._

"_Any questions?"_

_Kid Flash looked like he was going to open his mouth, but a glare from Robin silenced him. Batman nodded sharply, looking pleased. "You'll be leaving at 2100 hours tonight. Be ready by then. Dismissed," he said, then, with a whip of his cape, left the room. _

_They all visibly relaxed, Robin running a hand through his short hair and Superboy sliding his hands into his pants pockets. _

"_Well alright then."_

Aqualad heard a light thud, which startled him back into the present, only to see that Robin had run out of trees to hop to traverse through and had landed next to him. They all stopped as one, Megan landing in the grass next to Superboy, her hand over her mouth and her eyes wide.

"What a lovely house!" She said with a small measure of awe.

The old place was indeed impressive. A plantation style home, it looked to be three stories tall with a porch lining each floor on the outside. Some of the posts were broken, while others had clearly been broken then repaired. The building was white and, though the paint was chipping in some places, it was still very majestic looking. Most of the lights were off, but a few half curtained windows were lit, the yellow sheen casting an eerie glow on the rest of the house. No shadows moved within; for all intents and purposes the house was empty.

All four boys shrugged simultaneously. M'gann frowned at them, hands on her hips, but said nothing.

"We need to go around first, scout out the swamps," Kaldur said.

The others nodded, and Kaldur shifted as Robin took an inaudible step back, then hesitated. Superboy shifted as well, turning his gaze to the shorter. Robin paused, then stepped forward again.

"No vanishing acts, I get it," he said, looking a tad cross. Wally thumped Robin on the shoulder, grinning like an idiot. Robin shook him off, but he sported a small smile of his own. Kaldur found himself smiling as well; they were finally starting to consistently look like a team.

After having the decency to look mildly embarrassed, Robin called up his hologram display. Kaldur had no idea what the small piece of tech was and doubted he'd ever know. He appreciated that the shorter teen knew how to use it, though; that was the most important thing.

"There are landmines hidden in both the grass and under the water in the bogs to the front, left and back," Robin said.

"Why underwater?" Kid Flash asked. "I don't think anyone would swim there. There's plenty of pathways leading to and from this place," he noted, waving a hand in the air, marking the notion as foolishness. Superboy answered first.

"In case someone brings a boat in. Precautionary measures," he said. Wally nodded, shrugging.

"Makes sense, I suppose. Seems a bit excessive, but it makes reasonable sense," M'gann said with a nod.

"You've met this one and Batman, right?" Kid Flash asked, jerking his head over at Robin. "You should be more than familiar with neuroticism."

"Wow, KF. A five syllable word. I'm impressed," Robin retorted, smirking. Kaldur hushed them both with a hand in the air.

"Please, guys. Let's go disarm the mines, and scout the place out. I don't know about you, but I'd like this to go without a hitch." The _for once_ at the end of the sentence was unspoken, but they all got the message.

"Robin, can you tell us how to disarm these?" Kaldur added, glancing over Robin's shoulder at the numerous red circles dotting the layout of the estate. Robin nodded.

A couple of minutes later, the team had split into two groups: Aqualad and Miss Martian in one, Superboy, Kid Flash and Robin in another. Kaldur and M'gann were to disarm the underwater explosives, while Superboy, Wally and Robin were to take the land-dwelling ones.

Wishing the opposite group luck, they separated.

oOo

Aqualad climbed out of the swamp, scowling and flinging his hands in an attempt to get the mud off of his webbed fingers. "I do not enjoy these swamps," he said to no one in particular. "The seas where I once resided were much…cleaner."

"Oh, it's not so bad," Megan said, a mine hovering before her as she took it apart before unplugging the appropriate wires. "There's so much life here!" she said with apparent glee. Though the darkness was lit slightly by the large moon overhead, little fireflies flitting about helped light the bog.

Kaldur sat in the grass and busied himself with picking small clumps of sludge from between his toes. "You didn't have to swim in it," he said glumly. Megan stifled a giggle and lowered the useless hunk of metal to the ground.

"That's the last one," she said. "Miss Martian to Robin, we have successfully disarmed all underwater mines."

A quarter of a mile behind the estate, Robin nodded as he yanked at a wire of his own. "Almost done here. We'll rendezvous back where we first split, alright?" After getting an affirmative from the female, he chucked the disabled mine to the side, next to a pile of others. "Almost done, KF?" he asked.

"Yeah. These stupid things are everywhere," he whined, tossing his own to the side. "I got no room to move. This place is awful," he said, pouting.

Superboy regarded Wally with an odd mixture of pity and annoyance. "At least they weren't motion activated. Clearly they were placed slightly underground so people would step on them."

"Yeah, supes. They're called landmines for a reason," Kid Flash said with ease, his tone the only think making it apparent he wasn't mocking Superboy, but merely explaining. "It is lucky, though. A certain amount of weight to trigger and all that."

"These are the last," Superboy said with a nod. "We should meet the others," he said, blue eyes pinned to Robin's hidden ones. Robin held the gaze for a moment before nodding.

"Let's go the long way. Another light turned on over on the right side, and I don't want to risk being seen," Robin said, rising soundlessly. They darted around the left side, hidden by bushes and trees. "We're headed your way, Aqualad," he said into the comm., Kid Flash to his right and Superboy to his left.

"Noted. See you in a minute," Kaldur replied, nodding though no one but M'gann could see.

True to their word, the three boys met them after a few minutes of waiting. Pleased that their group were all together with nothing yet going wrong, they grinned at one another. "Okay, now what?" Kid flash asked.

"Now is when the real stealth comes in," Robin replied with a delighted smirk.

oOo

Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated! I love to hear suggestions, as well as constructive criticism. They make my day. :D


	2. Scouting and Hasty Decisions

_**Title:**_ Louisiana Blues

_**Author:**_ Naimeria

_**Warnings (for this chapter):**_ None

_**Author's Notes:**_ This chapter might come off as a wee bit awkward. It was pretty painful to write for some reason. My brain wanted to get to the action, and when my brain does that, the non-action bits write like shoving my hand into a box full of glass. Or some other metaphor for something painful. At any rate, I apologize in advance. It's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, but if it feels rushed I'm sorry. The next chapter is where it gets good.

Standard Disclaimer.

oOo

They crept up to the house silently, barely a whisper in the dark. The five creeped up through the mine-free backyard, avoiding the slimy patches of miniature swamp and sticking to the various dirt paths as they went. No more lights had come on, which assuaged the team's worries. They reached the backdoor, and Superboy moved to kick it in, but was stopped by both Robin and Kaldur putting respective hands on his foot and shoulder.

"Easy, big guy. I can't think of a better way to let them know we're here," Robin whispered, not unkindly. Kaldur nodded and, after Superboy nodded (not without glaring slightly), both let go. Robin knelt before the door and began to pick the lock. "Haven't had to do this in a while," he grumbled.

"Used to more tech savvy places?" Kid Flash guessed. Robin scowled and nodded as the lock clicked. Kaldur put a finger to his lips in the universal symbol of quiet. He belatedly appreciated that Megan and Superboy both seemed to get the message, though he wasn't sure if they actually knew what it meant. Robin opened the door silently, and they passed through the threshold.

Megan went in first, camouflaging herself. Robin went in next, followed by Kid flash, and Aqualad; Superboy brought up the rear. They crept silently, moving quickly through the narrow hallway that the house had opened through.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard, not ten feet away down an adjacent hall. The four boys stopped and Kaldur, reaching for the nearest door handle and tugging it open, urged them inside. Megan followed, visible to none as they scrambled into the dark room, wanting nothing more than to remain unseen.

They waited, the tension so thick it could be cut with a knife. The footsteps grew closer, the shadow of the passerby visible in the crack at the bottom of the door. They didn't stop, but kep moving until they turned a corner and were not heard from again. After a minute or so, they all seemed to breathe at once.

"Maybe we should split up," Kid Flash suggested.

Aqualad looked reluctant. "Maybe that's not such a good idea," he said.

"I can create our telepathic connection," Megan suggested with a whisper. "That way we'll still sort of be together and we won't have to talk through our comms."

The boys looked at one another, weighing their options. That was their last ideal choice, seeing as they all did not appreciate the disruption of privacy. But what other choice did they have?

Murmured agreements led to the group breaking into two smaller groups once more. Rather than mimic the groups they had in the swamp, however, they chose a different combination. Superboy joined Aqualad and Megan, leaving Robin and Kid Flash. Though they didn't seem too pleased by it, they left in intervals, darting down separate hallways.

oOo

"_I've connected the telepathic link for us," _Megan said,her light tone resonating through each member's head. The boys took a few seconds to adjust, then sent their affirmations that the link was working.

"_We're going to try to find the lower level. Can you two check the upper level?" _Aqualad's voice echoed. Robin nodded, before remembering he wasn't in front of their leader.

"_Affirmed. Sounds good. We'll discuss where to meet up once we're done," _he said firmly. He didn't have a good feeling about any of this, but he wasn't about to say something of that nature.

"_Alright," _Kaldur agreed, and the link went silent.

"Okay, KF," Robin whispered, turning to the redhead. "Can you do me a favor and sprint ahead? Scout for anyone nearby."

Wally nodded and zipped off, only a gust of wind proof that he had ever been there at all. Robin had to wait about five seconds before the breeze was back and the yellow blur was in front of him again.

"This corridor stretches down the middle of the house. There are three doors – one on the right, two on the left – and they're all locked. There are stairs at the end of the hall that go up. There wasn't anyone that I could hear, even when at the base of the stairs," Kid explained very quickly. Robin nodded, grateful that his friend had thought to remember the layout. His tracking gadgets normally hacked into the cameras and digital blueprints of buildings in order to give him the layout; it didn't help him at all in this old house.

"Thanks, KF," he said with a smile, in which Wally returned it with earnest.

Both sobered up immediately and snuck forward, Wally keeping pace with Robin as they jogged as quietly as possible up ahead. "I want to know what's behind these doors," Robin said, stopping by the only one on the right. He put his ear to the door and, after making sure no one was inside, fiddled with the lock and pushed it open. A storage closet greeted him. He closed and locked the door again, and they moved on to the next door. A small unfurnished bedroom was in the second. Assuming that the third would be just as useless, they went on until they reached the base of the steps that led up to the third floor.

They crept up the stairs quietly; a couple of the old wooden steps squeaked and made them pause and listen to see if anyone heard. By the time they made it to the top, they were sweating from nerves.

"Scout ahead," Robin said. Kid Flash nodded and did so, vanishing from view. He returned moments later with a nod. Both moved forward slowly.

"_Anything go wrong on your end?" _Robin sent out.

Silence greeted him.

Robin and Kid Flash exchanged nervous glances. _"Megan? Kaldur?" _Kid Flash tried.

"_Superboy, Aqualad, please respond,"_ Robin said, keeping his tone level.

They waited. More silence.

Both turned and ran back down the steps, Robin jumping them five at a time and Wally darting past at an inhuman speed. Some commotion down a hall had the two pinned to another wall, trying to hide and swallow their worries at the same time. They couldn't hear Superboy's common screams of rage, so the small group wasn't here. Whatever the hustle and bustle was, it was people trying to find said commotion.

Suddenly, however, the commotion stopped. Robin could only see shadows, but he peaked out anyway, watching.

"De missus say she got it covered," a scrawny man with pale skin and ratty hair said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "We do whut she wants an' ever'ting be calm," he said with a nod. The other sounded like they would protest, but the Cajun-accented mutterings soon ceased and the pack moved away down the opposite hall. Robin and Kid Flash immediately rushed forward, flinging open the door silently. Naturally, the downstairs door had been the only one they hadn't checked.

Kid Flash moved to rush down the steps – which led down to a wall then made a sharp turn, so none of the room below could be seen – but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. "We have to be cautious," Robin whispered quickly. "We don't know what's down there, or if they're even there." Both were conscious of the resounding silence below.

"I'll take them more by surprise if I rush them," Wally argued and, before Robin could stop him, he zipped down the steps. Robin groaned and darted after him, cape flicking in the air behind him.

As he turned the corner, three things happened in quick succession. He heard Wally cry out then saw him trip over something thick and green. He tried to move after him but found his own ankles were caught in the same trap, and his eyes flicked to the left and saw his missing friends, all unconscious and tied to a large stone column. Right as his brain managed to wrap itself around what he was seeing, something large and hard struck him in the back of the head.

The last thing he managed to make out was Wally being taken down by a rock, held by a large thick vine. _Great, _his brain managed to process, before he fell to the concrete, unconscious.

oOo

Reviews are, as always, greatly appreciated! I love to hear suggestions, as well as constructive criticism. They make my day. :D


	3. And He is Taken

**_Title:_** Louisiana Blues

**_Author:_** Naimeria

**_Warnings (for this chapter):_** None

**_Author's Notes:_** I love this chapter. It was extremely fun to write, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it!

Also, for those who have reviewed, I am extremely grateful. I LOVE feedback, as all writers do. :D

Standard Disclaimer.

oOo

Robin jerked awake, something sickly sweet invading his nostrils. He held back a sneeze and quickly assessed, adrenaline running through him like electricity.

No injuries other than a throbbing head and a shallow scrape on his forearm. Most of the room was in shadow; unable to see at least 70 percent of the contents. Of what he could see, there were vines everywhere: some as thin as one of his fingers, other's thicker than his torso. He was tied to a column in what looked to be the same basement he and Wally had stumbled upon.

He jolted with the reminder that he had not been alone and looked around quickly for his comrade, then remembered what he had seen.

Not only was he tied to the column, but so were the rest of his comrades. He was at one end, the wide pillar fitting all five of them in a sort of crescent. Kid Flash was next to him, then Superboy, then Aqualad, and finally M'gann. He could barely see the Martian, who was on the opposite side. He jerked forward, testing how strong the binds were, and found them to be quite strong. He was unsurprised, considering who they belonged to.

"Good of you to join us, little bird."

Robin's eyes narrowed as the sultry voice echoed from the shadows of the room. The voice's owner stalked out, looking like a hungry cat ready to devour its prey.

The five of them glared as one at the scantily dressed woman, who gave them a smirk. Her flesh, green as the plants surrounding her, shone with health and youth. With long legs and a small torso exemplified by her low-cut floral bodice and cleavage, the woman looked sultry and desirable. Lips full and darkened by lipstick with hair as bright as fire, Poison Ivy stood before them, looking pleased.

"Look at my luck. I expected the big guns to come after me once they realized my plans. But instead, I'm rewarded with a group of children. How lovely," she said with a smile, her eyes half-lidded as she batted her long lashes at them. "I even get to get my revenge on the Batman's little bird," she added, stepping forward and sliding a long finger underneath Robin's chin. He scowled and jerked away. The others regarded him with mixed expressions. Ivy seemed to notice this and let out a laugh.

"Oh yes, we've met before. Numerous times, in fact. The Batman and his little pet have given me quite a bit of trouble over the years! They seem to enjoy breaking my heart," she said, silky voice dripping with over-exaggeration. "My babies, murdered over and over by these two," she said, sounding as if she might cry. What looked to be a plant-like dog approached her and rubbed it's head on her leg. She patted its head, smiling down at it and regaining what she had artificially lost of her composure.

"Such cruelty. Such murder. Killing my loves over and over," she said darkly, glaring at Robin again. He glared right back, his domino mask narrowed so that his eyes were mere slits.

A strangled sound echoed from a far corner, hidden by shadow, and Ivy turned away from them and went to the source of the noise, looking a bit cross. Robin immediately looked at M'gann, and she activated the group's telepathic link.

"_Okay," _Robin greeted, not even giving them time to adjust._ "Ivy is very easy to provoke. If we can get her full attention on someone, it'll be easy to bust out of here," _Robin sent through their link quickly.

"_I'll do it," _Wally said. _"I'm sick of hearing this chick talk, anyway. Loves the sound of her own voice, doesn't she? I'm fine, by the way."_

Robin managed to not throw that back in Wally's face – an achievement he was most proud of. Instead, he opted for ignoring Wally's complaint and saying, _"Alright. You distract her, and we'll bust out of these damned plants."_

"_Why can't I just bust out now?"_ Superboy asked, sounding as though he thought the others underestimated him. _"I could be out in seconds."_

"_Because her plants will overwhelm you. There are a lot more here than you think. She always surrounds herself with tons of them,"_ Robin said.

"_We need to all break free together. We'll have a much better chance that way,"_ M'gann agreed.

The others sent their confirmation and silenced themselves, not wanting to look too suspicious to Ivy. They needn't worry, though; she had just finished fiddling with the thing in the shadows.

Kid Flash struggled against his vine trappings, looking for a distraction. Wally bared his teeth as the vines tightened, but he jutted out his chin as she slid her hand under it. "You have lovely hair, boy," she said, voice filled with an odd desire.

Robin struggled at his own bonds futilely. "Don't you touch him," he growled. Ivy ignored him and ran her other hand through his hair. Wally held his own and jerked his head out of her grip.

"You're the cause of all of the missing people, right?" he asked. "Why kidnap all these people?"

"Why, to feed my babies, of course. You do know what carnivorous plants eat, don't you?" she asked, giving Kid Flash a mocking look. A large Venus flytrap, its vine curled around one of Poison Ivy's calves, came up and nuzzled her cheek, its long green fangs bared happily. "This place has so much greenery it's amazing. I didn't even have to make my own! Just had to welcome these poor babies into my heart," she said, caressing what appeared to be the flytrap's nose. It made an odd keening sound.

Her gaze ran over the others, stopping first at Superboy. He glared at her, clenching his fists. "What beautiful eyes," he said. "I am not accustomed to seeing my enemy's faces, after all," she said. Robin scowled again. Her hand pressed against Superboy's chest and he shifted in discomfort. "And what a symbol you bear, boy," she said, brows raised and lips curled into a smile. "I have met your Superman. Wearing his symbol is quite brazen. Wouldn't you agree?"

Superboy's anger reeled and he was about to open his mouth to explain just why he wore the symbol, but Aqualad scowled and Robin shook his head quickly, hoping that Ivy didn't see it out of her peripherals. Superboy winced as M'gann's voice rang through his head. _"We don't want her knowing that you have your powers," _she said. _"Remember, you're not supposed to be able to get out of these vines. Wait for Wally's distraction. Don't forget the plan." _Superboy clenched his teeth but said nothing.

Ivy looked smug, and her gaze flicked next to Kaldur. "A creature of the water?" she asked, looking puzzled and oddly childish. "I have yet to meet one of your kind." He looked down at his feet but was unable to see his hands, seeing as they were pinned behind his back. Her fingers slid up the side of Kaldur's neck, and he visibly shuddered, her hands grazing over his gills. She smirked at him, clearly appreciating the reaction, and he glared. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ears, but said nothing more. Her gaze caught M'gann's.

While Ivy's eyes widened, M'gann's narrowed. Both shared almost identical skin and hair color; M'gann had a darker shade of both. Ivy's look of surprise darkened and she scowled. The boys tensed, afraid she was going to do something to their comrade, but she merely turned away, looking disgusted. Megan sank a bit in the vines, clearly relieved, but the fire was still in her eyes.

Ivy stood so where she was facing all five of them. Hands on her hips and eyelashes cast over her eyes, she pouted slightly. "You children are not worth my time, it seems."

"Funny how many people say that, right before we kick their asses," Kid Flash said, smirking. Ivy looked at him, amused.

"We'll see, fiery one, won't we?"

A vine rushed to meet Wally. It grabbed his ankle, and wound its way around his leg. The one tying him to the large column let go, and the smaller one hoisted him upside down, into the air. He waved his arms, trying to right himself, but the plant was determined to have him hanging upside down.

A plant larger than any of them had yet seen emerged from one of the shadows. The thing looked like it was scuttling, it's little legs buried beneath an enormous bud, which turned out to be a mouth. It was about as tall as Kaldur. It opened its maw and gave Wally a nasty gurgle, looking up at him as only a hungry plant could. Ivy turned and looked up at Kid Flash, giving him a cruel smile. "Any last words before my child feasts on your flesh?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said with a grin. "You won't like Supey when he's angry."

With a shout, Superboy ripped the vines from his person. The dying plant fragments fell to the ground, hissing and writhing. Ivy screamed and the vine dropped Wally, who just managed to roll so his head didn't collide with the concrete. As Superboy ripped the vines from M'gann's form, Robin slashed his own away and cut Kaldur's as well. The four stood, Robin smirking at Ivy. A blur of yellow and Wally was with them as well, looking smug.

"Well, what do you say to _that?" _he asked.

Her reaction wasn't what they expected. Her anger morphed slowly to a dark grin. Lips pursed, her gaze shifted to Superboy's. It lingered there, before sliding back to Kid Flash. Her deep rust lips angled in a smile.

"What do I say, child?" she asked. Wally swallowed and his smug look faltered beneath her unexplainable pleased one. "Why don't you ask your friend?"

They had a second to puzzle over what that could possibly mean before a fist came out of nowhere and collided with the side of Robin's head. He managed to lean to the side slightly to take some of the force from the impact, but it still threw him to the ground. Kaldur grabbed Superboy's fist as Wally and Megan rushed to Robin's side.

"What the hell?" Wally shouted as he placed a hand behind Robin's shoulder and urged him to his feet. Kaldur gaped at Superboy. He opened his mouth to shout at him, but stopped.

"Superboy?" he asked. His gaze was completely blank, and his eyes, which were normally bright blue, were alight with some ethereal red light. He growled, then shoved Kaldur roughly. He moved stiffy forward, ignoring everyone else's shocked gazes before moving to Ivy's side. She set a thin hand on his large shoulder, looking every bit a cat with a bird clutched in its paws.

"Sorry, children. But this one is mine now."

oOo

For those who guessed our mistress was the one and only Ivy, I give you an electronic cookie!

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I am so pleased when I get them, and the ones I've gotten so far have given me inspiration to continue. Don't stop sending them, I beg you. :3


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